Take-up mechanism for knitting-machines.



APPLICATION FILED JAN. 4. I916.

Patented Oct 31, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ZZUevaz-p G. L. BALLARD.

TAKE-UP MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.4, I916.

1 203,092 Patented Oct. 31, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

irnn 's'rnrns i NT FF GEORGE LAWSON BALLAIRD, 0F NORRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB TO WILD- MAN MFG. 00., OF N OBRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3t, 1916.

Application filed January 4, 1916. Serial No. 70,209.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE LAWSON BA LARD, a subject of the King of Great Britain,

residing at Norristown, Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Take-Up Mechanism for Knitting- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to take up mechanism for lmitting machines.

I have shown the invention for convenience of illustration in connectionwith the form of take up mechanism disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 600,568, granted March 15th, 1898, though it will be understood that the invention is not limited to a mechanism of the particular character shown.

One object of the invention is to provide an automatic control for the take up mechanism to maintain the relation of said mechanism to the fabric, which is predetermined upon for the best effect.

The invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a plan View of a take up mechanism, embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a side View of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a detail view looking from the left of Fig. 1 with parts. in section and parts in elevation and with parts omitted.

In these drawings, A, A are the usual take up rolls journaled in a take up frame B which is pivotally mounted in connection with a fixed frame C, forming a part of the fixed frame of the machine. The rollers A, A are geared together by gears D, D and the shaft of one of the take up rolls carries a worm Wheel E engaging a worm Fon a vertical shaft G mounted in bearings g of the pivoted frame B. The shaft G carries a beveled gear H, meshing with a beveled gear I on a horizontal shaft J mounted 1n bearings as J in a bracket forming part of the frame B. Power is transmitted to the shaft J from a moving part of the machine, such for instance as the pulley 3, which is mounted on a shaft 3, which is the drive around a pulley 5, which is fixed on the shaft J above mentioned, this pulley 5, therefore, in effect being mounted on the pivoted frame B and partaking of any vertical movement or tendency to vertical movement, that the pivoted take up frame B may have. The pulley 5 being rotated by the endless belt 2, the motion will be transmitted through the shafts J and G and worm F and worm wheel E to one of the take up rollsA and this, through the gearmg D, D' will drive the other take up roll to feed the fabric downwardly as it comes from the needles.

As the pivoted frame B, by its weight and the weight of the parts carried thereby, applies the desired tension to the fabric, it is desirable to maintain said frame in the positlon predetermined upon for the best effect. The preferred normal position of the frame is horizontal and when in this position the full effect of the weight on the fabric gripped between the take up rolls, is being exercised. However, this horizontal position of the frame, as being the normal one, is subject to change for the reason that the rope or belt may stretch under considerable use and the normal position of the frame would therefore be lower than the horizontal. Furthermore, all belts or ropes are not of precisely the same length to start with but whatever the length of the rope may be a normal position of the frame to weigh or hang on the fabric is established by the attendant and one object of the invention is to maintain the frame in this position as near as possible whether it be horizontal or above or below the horizontal. hen the frame is in normal position hanging or weighing on the fabric the relation of the length of belt to this position is such that said belt will slip on the pulley but upon slight downward movement of the frame the rope or belt will grip the pulley to rotate the roll or rolls and being rotated faster than the fabric is knit, the said rolls will creep up or climb on the fabric to normal position and will be arrested by the pulley 5 pressing upon the brake device. This brake device may assume various forms but in the particular construction shown, it is in the form of a brake shoe 4 consisting of a fiber disk to engage the periphery of the pulley. As above stated, the pulley 5 is fixed to the shaft J and when its motion is retarded or stopped the take up motion of the rolls A A. will be decreased or stopped.

The brake device is held rigidly in fixed position by a bar or rod 6, which is held by a set screw 7 in bearings or ears 8 of the fixed frame C. The rod furnishes the journal upon which the frame 13 turns and the brake shoe is held by an extension of this rod. This rod can be adjusted by loosening the set screw 7 and turning the rod 6 in its bearings and the position of the brake shoe may be changed to accord with the normal position at which the, take up frame is to be maintained.

Without my device to stop the rotation of the driven pulley, experience has demonstrated that, when the takeup falls low enough to tighten the belt and start the driven pulley, the grip of the belt in the grooved pulley will be sufficient to keep it going, long after the frame has reached its normal position. Less grip of the rope is required to keep the pulley going once it is started, than is required to overcome its inertia on starting it.

The described usual form of takeup rolls rolls are always rotated faster than the fabric is knitted. It follows therefore that the takeup will climb up on the fabric. The grip of the rope will not be released until the takeup is too high to have the same weight on the fabric as when it is in normal position. WVhen the takeup falls low enough to tighten the belt, and start the pulley, the weight on the fabric is materially lessened, as the weight on the takeup is largely absorbed by the belt, that is it is not all on the fabric. Assoon as the pulley revolves, there is immediately more weight on the fabric, as less weight is re quired to maintain a grip on the rope to rotate the pulley than to start it. and momentum of the pulley contribute to this effect.

The form of takeup used for illustration has two takeup gripping rolls. My invention is not limited to two gripping rolls. It may be employed in connection with takeups having only one roll, over which the fabric is drawn, it being held against the roll by suitable guide bars to maintain a frictional contact. My invention provides effective means to maintain practically uniform weight, or pulling down effect on the fabric and particularly on the types of machines where the takeup is belt, or

rope driven. The maintenance of constant.

weight is due to a means for stopping the rotation of the rolls and forcing the driven belt to slip intermittently, and without ma terial effect on the normal, or predetermined position of the frame and takeup devices; also my invention maintains a practically uniform tension of the belt, which would otherwise be alternately tight and slack and Inertia,

neutralize the weight intended for the fabric. v

While I have described the frame and takeup rolls as having a rising and falling movement, I have used this description more especially for convenience. Theoretically however, no marked up and down movement of the takeup frame takes place when perfect working condition exists. The pulley 5 may be in contact with the brake shoe 4 constantly. This contact is light at times permitting the pulley to rotate when the frame tends to fall below normal position, whereas when the takeup rolls tend to creep upon the fabric and carry the take up frame up with them, the pressure of the pulley 5 against the brake shoe is increased sufficiently to retard or stop the rotation of the pulley and the takeup rolls.

It will be understood that While I have described a rope or belt drive for the pulley 5, I do not limit myself in this respect, but would point out that some form of drive is necessary that will permit a tendency of the takeup frame to rise and fall and hang or weigh on the fabric.

I do not wish to exclude from the scope of my invention an organization in which actual movement of the takeup frame takes place as under some conditions, this will occur, but excessive creeping up of the takeup rolls on the fabric will be prevented in such cases by the pulley 5 coming in contact with the brake shoe. Where in the appended claims I refer to the takeup frame with the roll or rolls having an up and down movement in relation to the fabric and brake, it will be understood that I employ these words in a generic sense to include an actual movement or a tendency to have such movements and I do not wish to be understood as limiting my invention in this respect.

lVhat I claim is 1. In combination in a take-up for knitting machines, gravity take-up means weighing on the fabric and tending to climb thereon, a friction drive for said take-up means and a brake means for applying restraining pressure to said drive when the take-up means tends to climb on the fabric, substantially as described. 7

In combination in a take up mechanism for knitting machines, a pivoted frame extending substantially in a horizontal plane from its pivot when in normal position, a take up roll or rolls carried by said pivoted frame, a pulley mounted on said pivoted frame, connections intermediate the pulley and the roll or rolls for driving the same, a belt or rope for driving the said pulley, said belt or rope extending upwardly from the pulley, so that its frictional driving contact with said pulley will be modified by the rise and fall of the pivoted frame and means rendered effective by the rise of the pivoted frame to retard the rotation of the pulley when the-frictional pressure of the belt is reduced, substantially as described.

3. Take up mechanism for knitting machines, comprising a pair of take up rolls, a movable support for said rolls, means for driving the rolls, and means for applying restraining pressure to said driving means when the said support and rolls move upwardly from normal position, substantially as described.

l. Take up mechanism for knitting machines, comprising a. pair of take up rolls, a movable support therefor, said rolls tending to creep up on the fabric if the taking up action is too fast, driving means for the take up rolls carried by said support, and a brake for applying a restraining pressure to said driving means when said rolls and support move upwardly in respect to the fabric, substantially as described.

5. Take up mechanism for knitting machines, comprisinga pair of take up rolls, a movable support therefor, said rolls tending to creep up on the fabric under certain conditions, driving means for the take up rolls carried by said movable support, and means for applying braking pressure to the driving means rendered effective by the upward movement of said rolls and support, substantially as described.

6. Take up mechanism for knitting machines, comprising a pair of take up rolls, a movable support therefor, said rolls tending to creep up on the fabric under certain conditions, a drive pulley mounted on the said movable take up frame, driving connections between said pulley and the take up rolls, a belt for driving the pulley, and means for applying restraint to the driving connections when the frame rises.

7. Take up mechanism for knitting machines comprising a pair of take up rolls, a pivoted support therefor, said rolls tending to creep up on the fabric under certain conditions, a drive pulley mounted on the said movable take up frame, driving connections between said pulley and the take up rolls,

a belt for driving the pulley, and means for applying restraint to the driving connections when the frame rises.

8. In combination in a take up for knitting machines, take up rolls, a movable support therefor, driving means for the rolls mounted on said movable support, and a fixed brake normally out of action but on which the driving means presses when the take up rolls and support rise in relation to the fabric, to thereby retard or stop the take up rolls, substantially as described.

9. In combination in take up mechanism for knitting machines, take up rolls, a pivoted frame in which said rolls are mounted, driving means for the take up rolls mounted on the pivoted frame, and a brake which is set for pressing upon and retarding or stopping the said driving means when the pivoted frame rises, substantially as described.

10. In combination in take up mechanism for knitting machines, take up rolls, a pivoted frame in which said rolls are mounted, driving means for the take up rolls mounted on the pivoted frame, and a brake which is set for pressing upon and retarding or stopping the said driving means when the pivoted frame rises, said brake being rendered effective as a result of the rise of the frame and take up rolls.

11. In combination in take up mechanism for knitting machines, take up rolls, a pivoted frame in which said rolls are mounted, a driving pulley mounted on the pivoted frame, connections from said pulley to the take up rolls for driving the same, a belt drive for the pulley, and a brake shoe in fixed position against which the pulley GEORGE LAWSON BALLARD.

Witnesses:

LESLIE H. Fox, J. FRANK VVILCOMB.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 0! Patents, Washington, D. C. 

